Three English seasons have now passed since live Test cricket was removed completely from free-to-air television. Matters are serious already and will only get worse. It is down to the British government to stop this happening.

This article is the latest in a series which introduces Series Points, a new ranking method for Test players which directly compares all players together (i.e. batsmen and bowlers as well as fielding ability), whilst also awarding more points to players who performed well against stronger opposition

In January Ricky Ponting’s team was heavily criticised for their “win at all costs” mentality in the Sydney Test. Recently, the captain was vilified for putting compliance with a playing condition ahead of his side’s chances of winning. The media and cricketing public cannot have it both ways.

The recently finished Australian tour of India ended with its fair share of action and excitement. Could Australia chase down such a mammoth lead? With such a long batting order anything was possible. However as the top order began to throw their wickets away – one by one – one got the sense that this Australian team had little idea what it was doing, which really was the theme of the ill fated tour.

Australia’s recent loss in India, their first in over three years and their second in eight, has once more set tongues wagging about their decline. This is nothing new of course, but the hints of truth are stronger than ever now. So we look back at “Australia’s era”, in a two-part special.

Australia’s recent loss in India, their first in over three years and their second in eight, has once more set tongues wagging about their decline. This is nothing new of course, but the hints of truth are stronger than ever now. So we look back at “Australia’s era”, in a two-part special.

For the Stanford Superstars it was sheer joy, just rewards for their six weeks of preparation for the one-off cash bonanza. For England it was a missed opportunity to boost their bank balances to the tune of around 619,000 pounds, and coming up woefully short will torment them in moments of quiet reflection.